Coming Home for Christmas
by Swordy Rides Again
Summary: Crash and Burn Arc. Dee has plans for Ryo and their relationship but fate has other plans for Dee when he is injured on the job. Could the accident be a blessing in disguise?
1. One in the Eye for Happiness

**Author's note: First fic in the Crash and Burn Arc. I guess this is TWT (Timeline, what timeline?) as it deviates from the manga in terms of how they became a couple and moved in together. Most of my other fics follow on from this little Christmas tale. Enjoy and please leave a review! Swordy**

**Summary: ****Dee has plans for Ryo and their relationship but fate has other plans for Dee when he is injured on the job. Could the accident be a blessing in disguise?**

**Warnings: Bad language, male/male romance**

**Coming Home for Christmas**

Chapter 1 – One in the Eye for Happiness

"Well that was a waste of time!" Detective Dee Latener exclaimed loudly as he pushed through the set of double doors into the corridor beyond, his long legs striding determinedly towards the exit. His partner Ryo McLain had no doubt as to his haste; the hospital was strictly a no smoking site and Dee was overdue a cigarette by a good ten minutes. He followed in the black haired man's wake, eventually catching up with him outside the hospital's main entrance where he was puffing on a cigarette as if his life depended on it. Ryo sighed inwardly as he took in Dee's stormy expression.

Personally he agreed with Dee that coming to interview a witness still in critical care was likely to be a wasted trip but the Chief had insisted and so they had followed orders. Ryo was tactful enough to keep his opinions to himself but Dee was likely to land them in a whole heap of trouble if they were to return to the station now. The tenuous relationship between Dee and the Chief was volatile at the best of times; the last thing it needed was Dee in firecracker mode, shouting and yelling that they had better things to do than try and entertain conversation with a near corpse, using a vocabulary that Ryo could barely think about without blushing, let alone say out loud.

"Problem?"

The voice startled Ryo from his thoughts. He glanced up nervously at Dee to be greeted by a hard look. "Dee?"

"You were staring," the green-eyed man clarified as he drew the last ounces of nicotine from the cigarette and tossed it onto the floor before crushing it under his shoe.

Ryo could feel his ears reddening slightly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about the case."

Dee snorted in response as he pushed the long black bangs from his face. "Well don't think too hard Ryo, the smart money says our only witness will be dead by the end of the week."

"Dee!" Ryo exclaimed, horrified by his partner's apparent lack of respect.

"What?" Dee replied wearing a look of wide-eyed innocence. "You heard the doctor. He's got a twenty per cent chance of survival."

Ryo nodded grimly, all too aware of the fragility of life. Death was part and parcel of police work and as much as he hated it, he couldn't deny the shadow it cast over all cops and the people they were trying to protect. "Come on then," he said, indicating for Dee to follow. "Let's go and get a drink before we head back to the station."

Dee watched him curiously for a moment, before nodding in agreement and making after his blond partner. He knew exactly what Ryo was up to; distracting him from being mad at the Chief but for once, he decided to let it slide. He _was_ thirsty and any opportunity to spend time with Ryo away from the station was fine by him.

They reached the car but before Dee climbed in he turned back to cast a distasteful look at the building they had just left. "God, I hate hospitals," he muttered more to himself than his partner who was busy climbing into the passenger side of their vehicle.

Ryo stopped and glanced at him before following his gaze back to the edifice. "Yeah," he replied quietly as his thoughts turned to their witness lying in a coma, "that poor guy. Even if he survives he's got the prospect of spending Christmas in hospital."

"Doesn't make death seem too bad then does it?" Dee said quietly without a trace of humour and Ryo glanced across at him just in time to see his partner's hard exterior slip slightly in the face of surfacing memories. The glazed eyes disappeared as quickly as they had emerged when Dee caught Ryo looking at him and he grinned broadly in an attempt to shake off Ryo's concern.

"Well I'd rather face the Grim Reaper than tackling a Christmas dinner at that place," he said, thumbing in the direction of the hospital before he threw himself into the driver's seat. Still outside the car, Ryo paused and shook his head in puzzlement at his partner's sudden shifting moods before he climbed in and closed the door.

Conversation turned back to the case as Dee guided his car through the busy New York streets. They were on the trail of a killer who had committed at least four murders over the last two months, although there were other earlier crimes that had come to light that seemed to bear similar hallmarks. The perpetrator appeared to be finding his victims through the lonely hearts ads via the internet and as a result, there was little in way of evidence that would lead to the killer's real identity other than a series of IP addresses that could be traced to a multitude of public access machines across the city.

After weeks of desperation chasing up dead-end leads and trails long gone cold they appeared to hit on a break; a witness, the neighbour of a woman that had met her death at the killer's hands. He had managed to get a look at the man but in his fear to get away, and terrified that he would be killed too if he were spotted, he had fallen three storeys from the window of the apartment block where he and the victim had lived.

Amazingly he had survived, but had only remained conscious long enough to give the first people on the scene, namely other locals and assembled street punks, the information that he had been in the presence of the murderer and nothing more. No physical description. _Nada_. Because of that, the police remained stuck at square one; waiting and hoping that their only witness stayed alive long enough to be useful. All in all, the Twenty-Seventh Precinct was under close scrutiny from the media to catch the killer and bring him to justice and, thanks to the Chief's assignment of the case, the heat was landing directly on the shoulders of Detectives Latener and McLain as the coordinators of the operation.

Chancing a glance at his partner as the car idled in a long queue of traffic, Dee thought Ryo looked particularly tense. His wavy dark blond hair tumbled across eyes so black the pupils were barely distinguishable from the irises. Dee was used to gazing at those dusky orbs; what he wasn't used to was the hint of shadow marring the pale skin beneath.

"You okay, Ryo?" he asked in a casual tone that belied his genuine concern.

The other man was startled from his thoughts. He turned to Dee to be met again by those intense green eyes. "Me? Yeah I'm fine… just a little tired." He offered Dee a wry smile. "This case is on my mind a lot and Bicky…"

Dee frowned as he interrupted. "Is he giving you shit again? Man, Ryo why'd you put up with that little punk?"

"Dee…" Ryo complained wearily, not wanting to get into this age-old argument yet again. "Why'd you always think the worst of him?"

Dee's response was a snort as he accelerated through a green light. "Because he _is _the worst. He's unpredictable, erratic and goes around doing what the hell he wants."

In the passenger seat Ryo smiled to himself. "Sounds familiar," he muttered barely loud enough for Dee to hear.

"Ha ha," came the sulky reply as Dee guided the car into a parking space at the diner and turned off the engine. He glanced at Ryo as he flung the car door open to be met by a rush of cold December air. "For that crack, you're buying."

Ryo shook his head as he took off his seatbelt and climbed from the car. When he got inside the small but well-maintained diner Dee had already found some seats and Ryo dutifully followed his partner's wave and slid into the booth across from him. The waitress was over almost as quickly and took their orders; Ryo some Earl Grey tea and Dee a glass of regular Coca Cola, which he referred to as 'fat coke' to prevent her bringing the diet variety in error that he loathed with a passion.

"You always say that," Ryo said chuckling at the man across from him. "I don't think for a minute that anyone would think you were in need of diet drinks."

Dee grinned in reply. "I'll take that as a compliment shall I?"

Ryo blushed, deep to the bottom of his boots. "Dee…."

"Heh, you're so sexy when you're embarrassed!" Dee said, grinning and patting Ryo's outstretched hand.

A couple in an adjacent booth turned around at Dee's comment, their eyes wide when they saw the recipient was another man but the ebony haired detective remained oblivious, still smiling broadly at the man he loved so much. Ryo on the other hand flushed an even darker shade of red and snatched his hand back and jammed it under his legs beneath the table. Dee watched his partner go from relaxed to tense in two seconds flat and frowned deeply at the outcome. "Jeez, Ryo, when are you going to act like a grown up and accept that people will stare at two men in love?"

Ryo broke the stare and began to study something very interesting in his lap. Dee noted Ryo's ears were so red, they looked as if they were about to combust and turn to ash any second.

"Okay, okay," Dee said, relenting softly, "I'll lay off the hungry wolf act if you promise to come to dinner with me tonight."

Ryo looked up nervously, his hands still twisting in his lap. Dee was so handsome he wanted to yell 'yes' quickly followed by 'bugger work, let's go now!' but it was so far from his nature that just thinking about being so assertive made him blush. Dee took his silence as indecision. "Aw come on, don't make me make puppy dog eyes!"

Ryo managed to raise a smile as he gazed at Dee's well-practised forlorn expression. The people at the adjacent table muttered, "Oh please" and Dee turned suddenly, shooting them a glare that was the furthest thing from puppy dog eyes that Ryo had ever seen. Before anything further could happen and to Ryo's great relief, the waitress arrived at their table with their order, setting their drinks down and distracting Dee from his eyeballing match with the other diners. After she had left, smiling appreciatively at the two handsome male customers, Ryo found himself under a deep green-eyed scrutiny as he sipped the steaming hot tea.

"Well?"

Ryo floundered for a moment. "Sorry?"

"Dinner?" Dee clarified looking slightly annoyed, "Jeez, Ryo you have a pretty lousy memory for a cop."

Ryo's initial response was a glare before his expression softened. "Bicky's away tonight with the youth group so I guess dinner's okay. My place?"

Dee smiled and nodded. "As usual. You know, Ryo, if I didn't know any better I'd think you had something against my cooking."

Ryo batted his eyelashes innocently as he hid his smirk behind the teacup cradled in both hands. "Hate your cooking? _Never_. Even a trip to hospital couldn't put me off."

Dee rolled his eyes as the memory surfaced of his attempt at preparing the well-known aphrodisiac, oysters, which had landed them both in hospital with food poisoning. "I'll never live that down will I?" he muttered, although he had long since seen the funny side of the incident. He glanced up to see Ryo stifling his laughter and the man looked so damn handsome wearing such an amused expression that Dee couldn't help but laugh too. "Yeah, yeah," he said before downing the rest of his Coke, "Come on, let's get back to the station before the Chief fires both our asses."

After settling the bill, the two detectives left the diner and clambered back into Dee's battered blue Sedan. With just under three weeks left until Christmas, the weather had changed considerably; exchanging the clement strains of autumn for the colder, harsher conditions of winter proper. Dee swore loudly as he started the engine, knowing that it would take a while for the heating to kick in and take the chill out of the air inside the vehicle.

In the passenger seat, Ryo didn't look particularly concerned, most likely because he had left himself enough time in the morning to dress according to the weather. That and the fact that he had teamed his heavy winter suit with a scarf and thermal gloves put him in a better position to handle the New York winter than Dee who, as usual, had dressed in the first things he had clapped his eyes on when the alarm clock had finally dragged him from his pit.

Back at the station, Ryo went to file their short and uninformative report with the Chief as Dee took a moment to indulge in another cigarette as he hogged the gas heater in the corner of the office, trying to bring some heat back into his frozen body. Dee was tall and lean and carried very little fat on his lithe frame meaning that even the heaters in his car, when they had decided to work had done little to chase the chill from his body. Normally his colleagues would be complaining about him blocking the only source of heat in the ancient building but for some reason, everybody seemed to be somewhere else today. His solitude was finally broken by someone entering the office and he opened his eyes, presuming it would be Ryo, but instead was greeted by Drake grinning at him broadly and shaking his head.

"You got blue balls again, Latener?" Drake said with a laugh as he plonked himself down at his desk.

"Ha ha," Dee replied, stubbing out the cigarette and reluctantly leaving the warmth of the heater to seat himself across from Drake. "Where've you been?"

"In the break room," Drake replied, waving his hand in the general direction of their break-time haunt. "Trying to sort out Jerry's love life again."

Dee rolled his eyes, well aware of his colleague's rollercoaster relationships. "What's the problem now?"

Drake laughed in response, before leaning conspiratorially close. "The thing is, he's been dating this broad for a whole _six months_ and they haven't even slept together! Don't you think that's weird?"

"Yeah, weird," Dee replied vaguely before Drake noticed his faraway expression.

"Oh hey, Dee," Drake back-tracked quickly as he realised Dee and Ryo had been dating for almost two and a half years and for all he knew the relationship had never gone any further. "I didn't mean any disrespect, I mean, your situation's nothing like that…"

"What? You think it's different because we're two guys?" Dee snapped in response. He scratched angrily at a spot on his desk before he continued, his voice quiet this time. "I want to ask Ryo to move in with me but I just can't find a good time."

He glanced up to see Drake's expression and noted only concern. Drake knew the depth of Dee's feelings for Ryo and he wasn't at all surprised by Dee's wishes, since their relationship appeared to show promising signs of longevity. Time to be objective the younger man thought.

"You know, Dee, you and Ryo are together almost twenty-four seven. I can't see how you've not been able to find a time to ask him."

Dee snorted. "You know Ryo," he said rolling his eyes, "I've never met anyone so proficient at avoiding 'serious' subjects. Oh! The kettle's boiled! Oh! I've got to go and pick Bicky up! Oh! I need to go rearrange my underwear drawer into colour order, starting from the darkest shade working through to the lightest!"

Drake laughed at Dee's competent impression of his partner in both work and play. He could understand Dee's hesitation at putting this important question to his lover; Ryo still managed to look mortally embarrassed when Dee showed any sign of affection in front of other people so the lack of progress in their relationship was obviously Dee taking things slower at Ryo's request. Indeed, Drake had known Dee long enough to know that, before Ryo came into his life, the black haired man had considered meeting someone for a second date a 'relationship', not that many of his conquests had reached the second date stage. The fact that Dee had pursued Ryo for so long, and remained faithful in his devotion all that time was a sure-fire indicator of the man's feelings; Drake just hoped that Ryo really felt the same.

"Are you seeing him tonight?" Drake asked after a thoughtful pause.

Dee nodded as he reached for another cigarette, grasping the packet and shaking one out onto the desk. "Yeah, I'm having dinner at his place."

"Again? Jeez, Dee you may as well live there, you're there that often."  
The green-eyed man's response was a weary sigh. "That's the problem idiot!" he chided in exasperation.

Drake ignored his companion's insult. "Perfect opportunity then! Just do it," he said before adding carefully, "No offence, Dee but you've not really got much to lose."

"Dee, do you want a beer?" Ryo called from the kitchen to where Dee was lounging on the cream leather couch in the sitting room of his apartment.

"S'okay," came the reply as the taller man extracted himself from Ryo's large arrangement of cushions, "I'll get it myself."

Before Ryo could reply, Dee was at the refrigerator, helping himself to the beer Ryo had bought in specially. Ryo had strict rules about alcohol in the house when Bicky was around, but since his adopted charge was not home, he had bought some of Dee's favourite brand for the occasion of their meal. Dee had refrained from trying to explain to Ryo that if the boy wanted to drink, he would do it whether Ryo kept alcohol in the house or not.

"So where's the brat tonight then?" Dee asked, cracking open the can before peering over Ryo's shoulder to see what he was preparing.

"He has got a name you know," the blond man responded with some annoyance as he continued to dice the onions with an expert hand.

"Fine, fine," Dee replied, raising his one free hand in a gesture of defeat. "Where's _Bicky_ tonight then?"

Ryo nodded in satisfaction as he tipped the contents of the onion-laden chopping board into the pan. "He's at the youth group. They're staying over downtown as part of the urban youth opportunities project." When he was greeted by silence, Ryo looked up to see Dee smiling at him. "What?" he asked, bemused by Dee's slightly dreamy expression.

"Oh nothing," Dee said shaking himself from his reverie and coming to stand near Ryo who had stopped preparing dinner for a moment. "I was just thinking how good you are with Bicky. And…" he trailed off and looked away suddenly, his smile now gone, "how I wish I'd had someone like you looking out for me when I was growing up."

"You had Penguin," Ryo said gently.

"Yeah," Dee replied, "And she was wonderful but I had to share her with another forty-odd kids. I'm just saying Bicky's lucky to have someone like you all to himself."

Ryo smiled as he reached up and touched Dee's face. "That's really sweet of you to say so Dee but he hasn't got me all to himself has he?"

Dee looked up hopefully, green eyes meeting dark brown. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," Ryo said, smiling and stroking Dee's cheek lovingly, "that he has to share me with you dummy."

The perfect opening Dee thought. Now was the ideal time to ask Ryo that all-important question. "I'm glad you feel that way Ryo," he breathed, relishing their almost nose-to-nose contact, "because there's something I want to ask you."

Ryo looked a little anxious but he nodded nonetheless, inviting Dee's question, sensing it was something important. Dee took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak but his words were beaten by the shrill ringing of the telephone. They both turned to glance at the intrusion before Ryo said anxiously, "I should get that."

"Sure," Dee replied flatly, stepping back to allow Ryo past. As Ryo retreated into the other room to answer the phone, Dee swigged from the can in frustration, hoping that after Ryo had taken the call, they would be able to regain the appropriate mood in order for him to put his question to his beloved. He didn't attempt to listen into the conversation going on in the other room, but he figured it wasn't good as Ryo returned to the kitchen, his expression serious.

"That was the station," he announced grimly, "there's been another murder and they want us at the scene as soon as possible."

Heart sinking at his romantic plans going out of the window, Dee nodded and placed the half-drunk can of beer on the worktop before grabbing his jacket and following Ryo out to his car.

The scene that greeted them was a street in a quiet residential area of the city awash with blue flashing lights. In a macabre way, the squad cars appeared to be part of the brightly lit displays that occupied most of the front gardens on the street. Santa. His reindeers. _Death_. The uniformed officer in charge led the two detectives into the rundown property, taking them past the assembled medical and law enforcement personnel into the bedroom where the victim had met her demise. He gave them all the details; of how neighbours had heard screams and had called the police and how they had arrived and broken down the door to find the body inside.

The victim was middle aged but still reasonably attractive, or at least she had been before her murderer had gone to work. The life had been slashed from her in a series of long, frenzied blows, which had penetrated organs and severed arteries. The woman's neighbours had confirmed that the victim had spoken about meeting up with someone she had met via the internet and when they had heard the bloodcurdling screams, they had thought of the internet stalker, put two and two together and correctly come up with four.

"If you look," the officer said, gesturing at the victim's right hand, which appeared to be gripping what looked like a small pocketknife. "It seems like she didn't go down without a fight. She'd probably read about the internet stalker and thought she'd be prepared. The blade in her hand has blood on it and neighbours further down the street say they saw a man with a pronounced limp pass by ten minutes or so after the nine one one call was made."

"And that was when?" Ryo asked, glancing at his watch.

"Ten forty-five."

"So he couldn't have gotten far?" Dee replied, glancing first at his own watch and then his partner to check that they were on the same wavelength. They both turned to leave, logic telling them that the culprit was likely to be laying low somewhere nearby if he was injured. Dee and Ryo knew the area well and both seemed confident that this was one of the best opportunities they had had so far.

"Where to first?" Ryo asked as Dee gunned the engine as they roared down the street.

"Well there's no subway stations nearby and he'll probably not risk a taxi if he's bleeding so I reckon he's probably taken cover somewhere nearby with plenty hiding places."

"Like?"

"Like that abandoned apartment complex a block from here?"

Ryo grinned. "Dee Latener, sometimes I think you're psychic!"

"Nope," Dee replied, grinning in response as he made the appropriate turning. "Just damn good looking!"

They pulled up around the corner from the abandoned building some five minutes later. The apartment complex had been empty for the past three years or so and had fallen into a severe state of disrepair but despite this, no one had seen fit to tear the hazard down. It was a popular place for gangs of youths to meet and hang out despite repeated warnings that the edifice was far from safe.

There were some local teenagers congregating in the entryway as the two detectives entered, none of whom were the least bit phased by the presence of guns and Dee's harsh questioning. Claiming they'd only just arrived and therefore not seen anything of significance, they swore and spat vicious insults at the policemen as they were sent on their way. Not the least bit wounded by their words, Dee and Ryo made their way into the building to begin the search.

"We should really call for backup," Ryo said as they checked their weapons and flashlights.

"Fine," came the reply. "Tell them to get round here and watch these doors."

"What about the fire escapes?" Ryo asked as he punched numbers into his cell phone.

Dee shook his head. "Collapsed and the fire exit on the ground floor is sealed. These doors are the only way in and out."

After making the call, the two men waited barely five minutes before two squad cars turned up. Dee went back out and gave the instructions for the men to remain near their vehicles, with their weapons trained on the doors should the culprit try to make his escape. With their backup in place, Dee went back inside the building to where Ryo was waiting.

"You ready?" he asked the blond man as he retrieved his flashlight from his pocket and clicked it on.

Ryo nodded but paused before he went any further. "Be careful, love," he said quietly.

Dee turned, surprised at Ryo's words. "You too, Ryo," he said sincerely as they made their way cautiously up the first flight of stairs.

The building was a long rectangular structure constructed in a symmetrical fashion with the stairs and elevator shaft in the centre and the apartments spreading off to the left and the right on each floor. The design had received much criticism, particularly from the fire department who were rightly concerned about the lack of escape routes should there be a fire. Their fears had proved well placed when a seemingly small blaze had spread quickly and claimed the lives of twelve people all trapped at one end of block.

In the wake of the tragedy, the builders had returned, installing fire escapes at each end of the building but the damage had already been done. More and more families moved out allowing the criminal element to take over the vacated premises for their activities, leaving the authorities with no choice but to close down the apartments all together. Since then, they'd been abandoned, although the criminal community still tended to make use of the premises from time to time. The many rooms were also perfect for someone hiding from the police, hence the complex being Dee and Ryo's first choice when hunting down their murder suspect.

As they reached the first floor, they made the decision to split up, each taking one side of the apartments. They were armed and the man they were looking for was injured, leaving both experienced detectives confident that they could do the searches alone.

"Meet back at the stairs and we'll go up to the next floor together," Dee said, shining his flashlight on the long corridor he was about to head down. "Fifteen minutes for each floor. If the other isn't back at the stairs after the fifteen minutes are up then call for backup. Agreed?"

Ryo nodded before they both synchronised their watches. "Okay," he said, glancing at Dee through the gloom, "It's eleven thirty now so back here at the stairs at quarter to twelve yeah?"

It was Dee's turn to nod. "Sure thing. Watch your back, partner."

"You too," was Ryo's reply as he started walking in the opposite direction to Dee. "See you soon."

The search of the first floor turned up nothing, as did the searches of the second, third and fourth floors too. On the fifth floor, Ryo came across a homeless couple taking refuge in one of the more habitable apartments. Fearing they would be shot if he sent them down to the entrance, he extracted a promise from them to stay put. The couple were more than agreeable; the apartment was the most comfortable bolthole they'd come across in a while and they had no intention of leaving, killer or no killer.

By the ninth floor the detectives were starting grow weary, possibly accounting for how the killer managed to slip past Dee as he searched what felt like the millionth one bedroom dwelling he had entered that evening. The killer's injury meant he hadn't got far before he stumbled, and Dee was alerted by the sound cutting through the eerie silence. He headed back out and shone his flashlight in time to see the culprit running as best he could towards the stairs.

"Ryo!" Dee yelled as loudly as he could despite the musty air making him want to cough, "He's here and heading your way!"

The tall black haired man gave chase, covering the distance between them with his long legged stride. To his dismay, Ryo had been further down the block than he, meaning he had further distance to cover before he reached the suspect. After hearing his partner's shout, Ryo had started running, his heart pumping furiously as the adrenaline kicked in. In front of him, displayed in the light from the torch, he could see the suspect approaching as he made for the stairs and his escape with Dee in hot pursuit.

However, Ryo's adrenaline-charged sprint was not enough to catch up to the culprit before he reached the stairs. Dee had managed to get closer and, realising the man was about to descend, he made a grab for the man in front of him. However his flying leap only served to knock him off balance and Ryo could only watch in horror as the suspected murderer and his pursuer plunged down the stairwell with a series of sickening thuds and crunches.

"Dee!" Ryo yelled, instantly fearful for the man he loved. He crashed down the stairs after them and was relieved to find Dee conscious and sprawled on the floor on the next landing.

"I'm okay," he muttered, waving off Ryo's concern despite clearly being in some pain. "Get after him!"

Satisfied that Dee was not seriously injured, Ryo set off in hot pursuit, reaching the first floor and praying that the suspect had headed for the exit and not disappeared again on a different floor. The sound of shouting from the ground floor told him that that the suspect had done as he'd predicted and he headed down to be confronted by the suspect on his way back up. Evidently he had seen the police waiting by the exit and decided to try and hide himself once more.

"Freeze!" Ryo yelled, his outstretched gun never waving in his hand. "Give it up or I'll shoot." Hearing the approaching reinforcements from downstairs, the suspect did just that, raising his hands in a gesture of defeat and allowing the officers that emerged behind him to cuff him and lead him away. Ryo's initial reaction was one of dazed surprise; the man had been smartly dressed and fairly handsome. "They never look like killers," he muttered to himself as he sheathed his gun before remembering Dee lying several floors above. "Get an ambulance!" he yelled at the remaining policemen as he started up the stairs two at a time, "Dee's been hurt!"

TBC…


	2. Two in the Balls for Loneliness

**Author's Note: An old fic revised and reposted to conform to the no NC-17 rule.**

**Summary:** **Crash and Burn Arc. ****Dee**** has plans for Ryo and their relationship but fate has other plans for ****Dee**** when he is injured on the job. Could the accident be a blessing in disguise?**

**Warnings: Bad language, male / male romance. For the uncut lemon scene in this chapter, please check out my fics at Mediaminer or adultfanfiction.**

**Coming Home for Christmas**

Chapter 2 - Two in the Balls for Loneliness

Ryo stood as the doctor emerged from the accident and emergency ward of the hospital they had visited only that morning. The physician offered his hand and introduced himself before indicating for Ryo to sit.

"So how is he?" Ryo asked anxiously, knowing full well that that was what the doctor was there to tell him but unable to prevent himself from asking the question anyway.

The medic smiled. "He's fine. He has a broken leg and a badly sprained wrist but other than that it's just bumps and bruises. He's going to be pretty sore for the next week or so. He's sleeping at the moment but is there any family we should call?"

"No." Ryo shook his head and paused as his next sentence came to mind. Just the thought of it caused him to blush deeply but he said it anyway, feeling he owed Dee that much. "He's just got me. We're…. together."

He was relieved when the doctor seemed unfazed by this statement. "Well he's going to be in hospital for approximately the next two weeks so he'll probably need you to bring him clothes and other supplies until he's released."

"No problem," Ryo said, copying the doctor's motion and standing. "Can I see him now?"

"Sure thing," the doctor replied, indicating through the double doors. "He's in room eight but I'm afraid you can't stay too long."

"Thank you," Ryo said, his eyes filled with sincerity although his body was already heading in Dee's direction.

The ward was silent, which was perfectly reasonable since it was after three am. As Ryo made his way down the corridor he did a mental appreciation of the perks that came with being a cop; if he'd been anything else then surely the doctor would have made him wait until morning before he could pay Dee a visit. On the walls, someone, most likely the nursing staff, had strung tinsel and other decorations in an attempt to bring a little festive spirit onto the ward. Near the nurses' station stood a small, artificial tree bedecked with a range of gaudy baubles and fairy lights and topped with a slightly moth-eaten looking angel who leaned precariously to one side as if she had had one too many Christmas tipples.

Ryo found room eight and paused outside for a moment, contemplating whether his actions were selfish and he should just let Dee sleep. Concern and love was strong within him however, and he knew he couldn't just walk away, at least not without a peak at the man who plunged his normally ordered emotions into chaos. Within the room, the bedside lamp was still on, casting Dee's handsome features into glorious relief against the crisp white pillow.

He was dressed in a short-sleeved hospital gown, his arms resting on top of the bed covers as his chest rose and fell rhythmically, indicating deep, medication-induced sleep. One exposed wrist bore the hospital identity bracelet giving his vital information; the other was dressed in a clean white bandage from the base of his fingers up to his elbow, indicating the site of the sprain.

At the opposite end of the bed, Ryo studied the large plaster cast poking out from under the bed sheets and suspended slightly via a series of pulleys. The doctors had operated almost as soon as Dee had been admitted, inserting metal pins into his leg to help mend the break. The doctors were confident that Dee would heal nicely, but he would be out of action for several long weeks until the cast was removed. Aware that that would mean several long weeks without his partner, Ryo crept into the cubicle and sat down silently in the visitor's chair.

Unable to resist touching the angel before him any longer, Ryo reached out and gently pushed several strands of hair away from Dee's face. The black haired man stirred at the gesture before his glazed green eyes blinked open wearily and looked around, eventually coming to rest on Ryo sat beside him. His mouth opened to say something but Ryo put a finger to his lips. "Shhh," he said, his voice barely audible, "It's late and I shouldn't really be here."

Dee nodded in comprehension although the faraway look in his eyes indicated that he was still heavily drugged. "Did we get the bad guy?" he asked in a whisper, his words slightly slurred.

Ryo smiled and gestured in the affirmative. "That we did. Hopefully I should be able to interview him tomorrow."

"Give him hell, partner," Dee said attempting a grin before he swallowed hard and winced at the dryness of his throat.

Ryo passed him a glass of water off the bedside table and helped him to take a drink. Once he was sure Dee was comfortable he said somewhat reluctantly, "I should go."

Dee nodded his agreement, looking as if he was about to fall asleep any second. "No problem, you need rest if you're interviewing tomorrow," he said slowly before his eyes did a prolonged blink. "Let me know how you get on, 'kay?"

"Sure thing," Ryo said in all seriousness as he gave Dee's one good hand a squeeze. "G'night Dee," he whispered before planting a gentle kiss on the other man's forehead as he stood to leave.

"G'night Ryo," Dee managed in response before sleep claimed him once again.

The Precinct seemed to have become a hive of activity the following morning as Ryo climbed the stairs to the office he shared with Dee, Drake and several of the other detectives. He had already waded through a bunch of journalists at the front doors, shouting incomprehensible questions at anyone who looked as if they might know something about the internet stalker case, and even inside the building, the atmosphere seemed something close to frenzied. The Chief was preparing to accompany Commissioner Rose at the press conference to break the news that a suspect was in custody and the preparations for that seemed to involve every person present that morning.

Weary from lack of sleep, Ryo sat down heavily at his desk and surveyed the ominously large amount of paperwork in his 'In' tray. He was mentally willing it to disappear when Drake walked in, a steaming mug of coffee cradled between both hands.

"Hey, McLain," Drake said cheerily, "How's Dee?"

Shooting one last glare at the paperwork Ryo turned to Drake, and offered him a tired smile. "He's okay. I rang the hospital before I set off for work and they said he was comfortable and having some breakfast."

Drake laughed and shook his head after taking a sip of his coffee. "That sounds like Dee," he said before his expression grew more serious. "And are you okay, Ryo? You look pretty wiped."

"Yeah," Ryo replied, pushing his blond hair away from his face. "I was at the hospital 'til gone three, I guess I could have done with a little more sleep."

"You know, you could always get someone else to do the interview," Drake suggested, to which Ryo firmly shook his head. "Uh-uh. Dee's counting on me to nail this guy," he said, his dark eyes indicating that he was not to be dissuaded.

"Well good luck," Drake said in earnest as his phone started to ring, ending their conversation prematurely.

The interview with the suspect went as well as could be expected. The man sat tight-lipped and smug, knowing the police only had circumstantial evidence against him as Ryo put question after question to him in the hope that he would either break down and confess or incriminate himself. With a fellow detective that he barely knew as his co-interviewer, Ryo desperately missed Dee's support at such an important juncture in the case. Far from falling into the stereotypical 'good cop', 'bad cop' roles, Dee and Ryo's interviewing styles complemented each other perfectly and secretly Ryo felt far less proficient and confident without Dee beside him in the interrogation room. So with no confession or further evidence, the police were forced to release the suspect on bail, although they had arranged to tail him until they turned up sufficient proof to re-arrest him.

A fortnight had passed with little progress on the case when Ryo pulled up in the parking lot at the All Saint's Hospital with Bicky in the passenger seat, clutching a bag of clothes that they had brought for Dee. Bicky had complained endlessly about coming to the hospital during the journey across town and was still going strong as Ryo shut off the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition.

"Look," Ryo said firmly, turning to face the unruly adolescent, "I want you to be nice to Dee. He hates hospitals as much as you and he's been here two weeks already." His face softened in response to Bicky's stance of defiance. "Please Bicky, for me."

Bicky turned, unable to stay cross at the man that had given him so much in his short, yet troubled life. "Whatever; just don't ask me to feed him grapes or none o' that shit."

Ryo ignored the profanity to give him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Bicky. It means a lot."

"Sure thing," Bicky replied non-commitally as he swung the car door open, "Let's just go see the doofus so we can get outta here."

The air was frigid and snow was threatening as the two made their way across the car park. With Christmas a mere three days away, the whole of downtown seemed to be awash with colour, every building displaying images of Christmas for all to see. Outside the hospital was a nativity scene erected to show the birth of Christ. Intricately carved figures of Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus surrounded by the well-known visitors to the stable in Bethlehem stood posed amongst the straw in the softly lit display, which Ryo paused to study before they entered the hospital. He had never been particularly religious but the beauty and significance of the scene before him demanded more than a fleeting glance. Dee, he knew, had stronger beliefs having been raised in a Church-funded orphanage, and wished that the other man were here to share the experience with him. Instead, it was Bicky's voice that reminded Ryo he was not alone.

"Ryo?" he whined from just behind the blond man's shoulder, "Are we going in? My nuts are about to drop off with the cold!"

Ryo turned and gave his charge a disapproving glare as the boy hopped from one foot to the other as he tried to retain some warmth. "Come on then," Ryo said, taking one last glance at the nativity scene before following the unhappy youth inside.

They made their way down endless blank corridors until they reached the appropriate ward. As Ryo pushed through the double doors, Bicky made a face and pinched his nose. "Jeez, this place stinks!" he proclaimed loudly before he was silenced by a stern look from Ryo. "Well it does," he argued, "I sure as hell wouldn't want to spend Christmas in here."

"It's a hospital. They always smell like that," Ryo replied flatly without looking as he smiled and nodded a hello to one of the nurses. "Come on Bicky, and remember what I said."

"Yeah yeah, be nice," Bicky repeated monotonously as he followed Ryo down the ward to Dee's room.

Sat up in bed, Dee offered Ryo a broad smile before he noticed Bicky and his expression morphed into a frown. Quick to spot it, Ryo mirrored his gesture. "Be nice, Dee, Bicky's come to see you."

Dee nodded as if he couldn't quite believe it before pointing out the door, indicating a stack of plastic chairs at the end of the ward near the nurses' station. "You can get an extra seat from there," he said to the boy who looked thoroughly bored already. As Bicky did as he was told, Dee took the opportunity to pull Ryo in for a quick kiss. Out of habit, the blond haired man glanced around as soon as he'd been released to check whether anyone had seen but when he saw that everyone else out on the ward was either too busy or too sick to care, he immediately felt bad. He was surprised when Dee didn't say anything.

"Dee, you okay?" he asked as he settled into the familiar visitor's chair.

The black haired man swept his non-bandaged hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just sick of staring at these same four walls, you know?"

Ryo responded with a sympathetic smile. "When are they letting you out?"

Dee shrugged. "Hopefully either tomorrow or the day after. Apparently there's some formalities and stuff before I can be released but I wasn't really listening." He let out a long sigh as he leant back into his pillow. "I can't _wait_ to get home. I don't care when they release me so long as I'm out of here before Christmas." He glanced at Ryo and the blond could have sworn he saw a hint of fear in his deep green eyes. "I really couldn't handle that," he said quietly as he fiddled with the edge of the bed covers.

Ryo was about to offer words of reassurance when Bicky reappeared, scraping the plastic chair across the floor as he came towards them where he was met by matching glares. "What?" he said innocently as he plonked himself into the plastic seat. "Hey Dee, you got anything to eat?"

Ryo rolled his eyes but Dee couldn't help but smile as Bicky reminded him so much of himself at that age. "Sure," he said indicating the drawer in the bedside cabinet. "There's a whole heap of crap in there."

They watched as Bicky dived into the drawer only to pull out with a load of muesli bars in his hand and a disgusted look on his face. "You weren't wrong there," he said, eyeing the health food bars distastefully. Dee coloured as Ryo turned to glare at him crossly. "You said you liked those!"

Dee opened his mouth to lie but realised it was futile. Instead he turned his attention to Bicky who was soon on the sharp end of a green-eyed scowl. "Nice one, idiot," he growled, to which Bicky stuck his tongue out in defiance.

"_Please_ you two," Ryo said wearily, forever having to assume the role of the mediator. "Will you give it a rest for once?"

Before long, visiting hours were over and Bicky and Ryo were asked to leave. The former jumped up almost as soon as the request was made, eager to be away from this boring place but the latter hung back, reluctant to leave the man who looked so dispirited by his prolonged hospitalisation. Dee often attempted to hide his feelings from Ryo, but the blond man felt that of all the emotions the other attempted to conceal, Dee could never fully disguise his unhappiness from his intense green eyes. Ryo had seen it tonight in those verdant orbs, a fact which worried him immensely, but as he and Bicky headed back to the car he consoled himself with the thought that Dee was due to be released imminently.

The following day found Ryo on a complete high as he headed for the Precinct with an enthusiastic gait. Early that morning he had received word that, not only was their only witness out of the critical care ward but he was fully conscious and ready to be interviewed. Ryo had rushed to dress, ushering Bicky off to school with money as opposed to a packed lunch as he hurried into work, determined to get onto things as soon as possible. Almost as soon as he had arrived, he had been sent off to the hospital with an album containing a selection of mugshots in the hope that the witness would be able to identify the killer.

As Ryo emerged from the ward with a positive ID and a huge sense of elation he contemplated nipping in to see Dee but felt it would be unfair on the other detective who had been assigned to accompany him in Dee's absence. Besides, he reasoned, Dee would probably be released later on that day so they would be able to celebrate this positive breakthrough together over a meal at Dee's apartment.

The case preoccupied the blond detective so much that he forgot to check his messages when he arrived back at the Precinct. He was so busy filing reports and co-ordinating the re-arrest of the main suspect that he never saw the note Drake had left for him saying Dee had tried to call him several times. It eventually took JJ, who breezed into the office with an air of self-satisfaction, to inform him that Dee had phoned him whilst his partner had been busy.

"What did he say?" Ryo asked, attempting to sound calm but aware that if Dee had capitulated and phoned JJ then something must be wrong.

"Oh he was just wanting someone to talk to," JJ replied somewhat smugly, enjoying prolonging Ryo's frustration as he came to perch on Dee's empty desk. "He sounded really down but I'm sure he felt much better after speaking to _me_."

Ryo rolled his eyes, unwilling to rise to JJ's obvious attempts to antagonise him. "Was there a message for me?" he asked, keeping his tone even.

JJ's face clouded, recalling that Dee had only really been interested in getting a message to Ryo. "Yeah, he asked for you to call him at the hospital," he replied sullenly.

"Thanks JJ," Ryo responded, ignoring the other's glare and picking up the handset and dialling the direct ward number that he had on a post-it note next to his phone. He asked to speak to Dee and listened patiently as the phone was taken to the appropriate patient. He heard the other man curse as he attempted to sit up with some difficulty but eventually Dee's voice came on the line.

"Ryo? Where've you been?"

He sounded down and a little desperate Ryo noted immediately. "Sorry Dee. Everything went a little crazy and I've only just got your message." He proceeded to explain their breakthrough and how they'd finally been able to charge their suspect with murder.

"That's great," Dee replied although his usual enthusiasm was absent from his voice. A pause followed, which allowed Ryo to ask what was wrong. From the other end of the phone, Dee was heard to sigh loudly. "I'm not being released today," he said flatly. "Or tomorrow, or the day after or any time soon for that matter."

Ryo sat forward in his chair. "Why on earth not?"

"Apparently, the doctors will only let you leave when you can manage on crutches and since I _can't_ manage on crutches because of my wrist then they won't let me out. The physios have been out to assess my apartment and they say it's unsuitable for me to be released because I won't be able to manage there on my own. Which means," he said slowly as if the words hurt him greatly, "that I'm stuck in here for Christmas."

"Surely not?" Ryo answered quietly, "Can you not discharge yourself?" he asked, knowing Dee was not one for rules at the best of times.

"Don't you think I thought of that?" Dee snapped before he paused, instantly regretting the harshness of his tone. When he continued, his voice was more controlled. "I could technically discharge myself but the doctors would inform the Precinct that it was against their wishes and they would stop my pay. I can't afford to do that Ryo so I guess I've no choice but to accept that I'll be spending Christmas here."

Before Ryo could respond, he heard a voice at the other end of the line informing Dee that the phone was required and he would have to end his call. He wanted desperately to make everything right but to do that he would have to get the okay from someone else. He didn't want to make promises to Dee that he couldn't keep.

"Leave it with me, Dee," he assured before he hung up, "I'll see what I can do."

Bicky entered the apartment to be greeted by the succulent aroma of his favourite meal wafting through from the kitchen. Frowning and doing a mental check that it wasn't his birthday or some other significant event that would warrant the preparation of his preferred food, he threw his school bag down in the entryway and walked through into the living room.

"Ryo?" he called, to be greeted by the blond head poking out from the kitchen, a huge smile across his handsome features.

"Bicky!" he said, sounding thoroughly pleased to see him. "Dinner's nearly ready so get washed up and then we can eat straight away."

"But I have homework, don't you want me to do that first?" Bicky asked, amazed that Ryo hadn't checked whether he had homework himself, as he usually did.

"No no," came the reply from inside the kitchen, "You can do it later."

Still frowning, Bicky did as he was told before coming to sit down at the table opposite Ryo. They tucked into the meal of steak, fries and onion rings for several long moments before Bicky put his knife and fork down. "Okay, what gives?" he asked, eyeing Ryo suspiciously.

Ryo responded with a look of surprise as he took a sip from the teacup in front of him. "Nothing gives," he said innocently, avoiding Bicky's curious gaze.

"Really," Bicky said flatly, not the least bit fooled by Ryo's pretence. "Jeez, Ryo, for a cop you make one lousy liar."

Ryo glared, disapproving of Bicky's insinuation that policemen should be adept liars, before his expression changed to one of defeat. "Okay, okay," he said holding up his hands, "I'll admit I had a hidden agenda."

"Aha!" Bicky exclaimed triumphantly as he crossed his arms across his chest. "So what is it?"

Ryo took a deep breath, wanting to put forward the best argument he could to the volatile adolescent. "You know when we went to see Dee at the hospital and you said you sure as hell wouldn't want to spend Christmas there?"

"Uh huh," Bicky replied nodding his head as he recalled the depressing surroundings. "That place was the pits."

"Well," Ryo continued, not wanting to agree out loud with Bicky's assessment despite his own feelings that the place was indeed 'the pits', "Dee may have to stay in hospital over Christmas after all."

There was almost a look of sympathy on the younger man's face before he reaffirmed his usual defiant stance. "Well that's too bad," he said non-committally, shovelling in a mouthful of fries before he realised Ryo was still watching him closely. "What?" he said dubiously, "There's gonna be a 'but' now isn't there?"

Ryo nodded as he wrung his hands on the table in front of him. "Dee can't go home because he lives alone, but they _will_ release him if he can go and live somewhere where there are people to look after him."

He glanced up at Bicky to check that the youth knew what he was saying. The other seemed to have got the message loud and clear as he began to vigorously shake his head in protest. "Oh no," he said emphatically, "there's no way I'm spending my Christmas holidays playing nursemaid to that lunkhead while you're out at work. _No way, Jose_."

"_Please, _Bicky," Ryo implored, leaning across the table slightly, his dark eyes pleading. "Dee's really unhappy. I get the feeling this isn't the first time he's spent Christmas in hospital and it's bringing back a lot of bad memories for him."

"Is that the only reason you want him here?" Bicky asked, ignoring his dinner to look Ryo straight in the eye. "Because you feel sorry for him?"

Ryo blushed profusely. His instinct told him to shield Bicky from his complicated emotions and questions like this didn't help matters. "I er… I…"

Bicky rolled his eyes at his guardian's hesitation. "Ryo, just say it. You want Dee to come stay with us because you love him or want to get inside his pants or both of the above."

"Bicky!" Ryo shouted in outrage although the blush remained high on his cheeks. Bicky however was quick to fend off his indignation. "Well? It's true isn't it?"

Ryo opened his mouth but the words never came. He'd always vowed to be honest with Bicky, to never hide things from the boy and cause him to feel threatened but this was truly putting him to the test.

"I'm sorry Bicky," he said after a long, tense pause. "I never wanted to burden you with my feelings towards Dee." He offered the boy a sad smile. "To be honest, I'm not sure I really understand them myself."

"But why lie about them?" Bicky said, surprising Ryo with his maturity.

The older man looked both guilty and contrite. "I just wanted things to be normal for you," he said quietly.

"So you think that dating women and pretending to like them when you'd rather be with their brothers is _normal_? Sheesh, talk about denial!"

Ryo looked horrified but couldn't bring himself to shout at the boy. He stared at his hands feeling thoroughly wretched before Bicky's voice drew his attention.

"Face it, Ryo," the boy said matter-of-factly as he picked up his fork and skewered some fries with it, "you are what you are. You can't pretend to be straight any more than I can pretend that I've grown up in suburbia surrounded by white picket fence all my life."

Ryo couldn't help but smile at the boy's straight talking philosophy as he retrieved his own cutlery and resumed his meal. They ate in silence for a few more minutes before Ryo could feel Bicky looking at him.

"Well?" the boy said, his bright blue eyes watching Ryo expectantly.

"Well what?"

"Shouldn't you get on the phone and tell the idiot to pack up his things?"

Ryo's stunned expression transformed into a broad smile as he realised what Bicky was saying. "You don't mind?" Ryo asked.

Any trace of civility disappeared instantly behind the usual adolescent scowl. "Sure I mind! But I figure it's better than looking at your miserable face all over the holidays."

Ryo could only laugh as he downed his cutlery, jumped up and headed for the phone.

"Bicky can you get Dee's bags?"

"What am I? The Porter?"

"Bicky, _please_," Ryo repeated as he moved round to the passenger side of his car to open the door whilst unfolding the portable wheelchair.

The grumbling youth did as he was told, retrieving the holdalls from the trunk of Ryo's car as the blond man struggled to help the other occupant from his seat.

"Okay, easy now," Ryo said, drawing Dee forward to support his weight as the taller man balanced on his one good leg. "Mind the ice there."

"Yeah I got it," Dee muttered, clinging to Ryo as best he could. The painkillers he had taken that morning were wearing off and he was feeling fractious at best after a car journey listening to Bicky's ever-present whine. A small part of him was wondering whether Christmas in hospital might have been preferable…

"Okay, ease yourself down gently," Ryo instructed as he navigated Dee's slender frame into the wheelchair. Hospital food, Ryo thought as his arms wrapped easily around his partner's body, had done little to maintain Dee's healthy physique. A week or so of good home cooking should see him right Ryo concluded happily as he bent and lifted Dee's plaster casted leg onto the wheelchair's supporting brace.

"Ready?" he asked the ebony haired man after he had locked the car up.

"Uh huh," Dee replied, breathing in the crisp December air and ignoring Bicky's pointed glares as the youth struggled towards the elevator with his bags.

Once inside the apartment, Ryo helped Dee onto the couch and handed him the television remote, much to Bicky's annoyance, before going to fix him a drink. Man and boy continued to scowl at each other until Ryo returned, settling between the two on the large leather beanbag with his own cup of tea. Ryo turned to Dee and gave him a wide, loving smile which Bicky was quick to catch.

"Oh boy," the youth muttered, rolling his eyes as he extricated himself from the armchair. "I'm gonna go see Cal. Can't be doin' with all this mushy crap."

"Okay," Ryo said, reddening slightly as he glanced at his watch, "but don't be late. Remember it's Christmas Eve so the subway will probably stop early tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," Bicky said, waving a hand as he grabbed his coat and made for the door.

"Bicky?" Ryo said suddenly before the youth could leave. "You know you can invite Cal over for Christmas dinner tomorrow, don't you?"

Bicky's perpetual glare was replaced by a look of surprise. "You don't mind?"

Ryo shook his head and turned to Dee. "Dee?"

Dee copied his gesture and smiled slightly, knowing he was here with Bicky's blessing. "Not at all. The more the merrier, right?"

Bicky grinned at the two men, the rarely seen expression lighting up his attractive features. "That's great, I gotta go ask her!"

The two men winced as the door slammed behind them. Once they were alone, Ryo shuffled forward on the beanbag and took hold of Dee's bandaged hand, which he kissed gently as he gazed into the other man's deep green eyes.

"That was good of you," Ryo said breathlessly.

Dee smiled as he pulled Ryo close so that the blond head was nestled against his shoulder. "I just agreed with you. You're the one that's really good to Bicky."

"He's surprisingly sensitive you know," Ryo murmured from where he was buried in Dee's sweater to which Dee responded with a short bark of laughter. "Yeah, maybe if they changed the definition of 'sensitive'," he said laughingly.

Ryo looked up into Dee's face. "No really," he protested before proceeding to recount the conversation that he and Bicky had had over dinner the day before.

"So Bicky told you, you needed to be true to yourself?"

"That's about it," Ryo said with a smile.

"And you _listened_?" Dee said, blinking in disbelief. "I've been telling you the same thing for over two years and you disregard it until it comes from the mouth of a thirteen year old boy and an obnoxious one at that?!"

Ryo blushed and looked away as Dee swept a frustrated hand through his thick dark hair. "Jeez Ryo, you're just full of surprises aren't you?"

Ryo watched the other man light a cigarette and draw on it in annoyance. "I'm sorry Dee," he said after a brief period of silence. "But I can't help the way I feel. You're comfortable with who you are but… well… this isn't easy for me. You know, to admit that I'm…" he paused.

Dee deposited his cigarette into the ashtray and waited expectantly. "Go on, say it," he urged gently.

Ryo took a deep breath. "I'm gay, there I said it. Are you satisfied now?"

Dee acknowledged Ryo's courage with a smile before he pulled the blond man into his arms. "That depends," he said in low, seductive tones as he stroked Ryo's cheek with one rough hand.

"On what?" Ryo asked, his voice equally husky and desire-filled.

"On whether you're spoken for or not."

Despite his previous embarrassment, Ryo indulged Dee with a sexy smile. "I'm afraid that I am."

"Damn," came the reply as Dee's fingers wandered through the gaps in Ryo's cotton shirt and began to massage his firm chest with long, lazy strokes. "Anyone I know?"

"Mmmm, not sure," Ryo murmured as he closed his eyes and concentrated on enjoying the sensations as Dee began to play with one of his nipples. "But I think you'd really like him."

"Oh? Why's that?" Dee asked, stopping his movements, causing Ryo to open his eyes. The blond man returned his smile with a lustful one of his own. "Because he's tall, dark and handsome, that's why."

Dee cupped Ryo's face with both hands before capturing his lips with a deep, passionate kiss. "That's where you're wrong," he breathed before repeating the action again, eventually letting Ryo up for air and gazing deeply into his eyes. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that gentlemen prefer blonds?"

Evening drew in swiftly and reluctantly Ryo untangled himself from Dee's long limbs to put on some lamps and close the blinds. The taller man had quickly fallen asleep several hours ago, most likely due to the effects of his medication, and not wanting to disturb him, Ryo had laid there with him until he too had fallen asleep, wrapped in Dee's embrace. Stretching in the darkness, he went into the bedroom and returned with a blanket, which he used to cover Dee as he lay on the couch, snoring lightly.

As he switched on the Christmas tree lights he glanced back at the sleeping man and smiled. Dee was so handsome he just couldn't believe that he had denied his feelings for so long. He also felt relieved that Dee had persevered with him, especially considering all the brush-offs that he, Ryo, had given him over the last two years. He lit a couple of candles and went to draw the last of the blinds before he realised that it had started to snow. Wrapping his arms around himself he stared out of the window in contentment, watching the snowflakes descend and congregate on any available surface.

"What are you thinking about?"

The voice from behind Ryo startled him and he turned to see Dee watching him closely.

"Oh nothing," he said happily, "I was just watching it snow."

"It's snowing?" Dee said, blinking sleepily and rubbing his hand across his face.

"Yeah," Ryo replied, "Looks like it's gonna stick too."

Dee smiled. "A white Christmas, huh?"

Ryo moved away from the window and went to kneel in front of Dee on the couch. "Dee Latener, you're just an old romantic at heart aren't you?"

Eyes drinking in the handsome features of the man before him, Dee reached up and gently tugged on a lock of blond hair, his face split by a broad smile. "I guess you just bring out the best in me," he said sincerely, unable to believe that this wasn't just a pleasant dream or a medication-induced hallucination.

Before Ryo could respond, there was the sound of a key in the door. Ryo instinctively went to move away but Dee caught hold of his shirt. "Be true to yourself, remember?" he said to which Ryo nodded in reply, feeling slightly ashamed of his initial reaction as he settled back beside Dee and waited for Bicky to come into the room. The blond boy soon appeared, casting only a cursory glance at the close proximity of the two men as he kicked off his boots and went into the kitchen to get a drink. He reappeared, slurping loudly from the can of soda as he leant against the doorframe.

"Cal's coming for dinner tomorrow," he said somewhat proudly, "I told her she'd have to spend it staring at two lovesick idiots but for some reason she didn't mind."

Ryo opened his mouth to reprimand Bicky but Dee's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Well it takes one to know one," Dee said, with a sly grin at the blond youth whose own smug smile changed to a scowl, only spoilt by the telltale flush of embarrassment on his cheeks.

"I'm going to bed," he announced petulantly, as he disappeared into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Loud music started up promptly.

"That was mean, Dee," Ryo scolded although his eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Yeah well," Dee replied, pausing to yawn, "You shouldn't let him talk to you like that."

Ryo smiled, secretly glad of the support Dee was offering. Not that Bicky was particularly hard to manage, but Ryo felt that the boy often viewed him as a soft touch and was happy that Dee could supply some of the discipline that he felt he couldn't always hand out. Realising he was imagining a life where Dee shared some of the parental responsibility for Bicky, he quickly dismissed the notion. He loved Dee and was sure Dee loved him but it was wrong to assume that Dee wanted to be such a big part of his life.

"Penny for them?" Dee said suddenly, shaking Ryo from his reverie.

"Oh no," Ryo replied with a smile, "I was just thinking maybe we should get to bed too."

Dee nodded and stretched on the couch before hauling himself into a sitting position. The plaster cast on his right leg ran from his toes right up to his hip making it extremely heavy and difficult to manage without assistance, but Ryo had already anticipated Dee's needs and was ready to bear the weight as Dee tried to stand up. The black haired man smiled at Ryo's attentiveness before allowing him to help him into a standing position.

"I could get used to this," he breathed into Ryo's ear as the blond man wrapped his arms around Dee's body and supported him whilst he took up one of the crutches. "Okay I'm ready."

Slowly and awkwardly the two men inched across the living room, Ryo bearing most of Dee's weight as the other man gritted his teeth against the discomfort in his damaged limb. They reached the bedroom after a quick stop off at the bathroom both feeling as if they had climbed a mountain and then some. With the bedroom door firmly shut, Ryo helped Dee to sit on the edge of his large double bed and undress. The clothing on his upper body came off easily, but trying to remove Dee's track pants over the cumbersome cast was something else entirely. When they were finally off, the two men collapsed in a heap on the bed, laughing and breathing heavily at their exertions. The laughter quickly faded away as the intimacy of the situation became paramount as they gazed at each other in the darkness. Dee was surprised to find that Ryo actively encouraged his touches in his own shy way, until the blonde cried out in ecstasy.

As the euphoria started to ebb away, Ryo's awkwardness returned and he self-consciously pulled his shirt closed to hide his nakedness.

"Don't," Dee said firmly as he took hold of Ryo's hand, preventing him from covering himself up.

"Sorry," came the meek reply, dark eyes unable to meet the hard green stare.

Dee smiled gently and didn't speak until the silence forced Ryo to look at him. "I love you, Ryo McLain," he said quietly, "And I've waited over two years for this opportunity. Please don't spoil it by being sorry."

Ryo's eyes widened, sensing Dee's hurt as he knelt down and took the black haired man's hands in his own. "Oh Dee no, I'm not sorry about us!" he cried emphatically before he paused and smiled shyly. "If anything I'm just sorry that you've had to wait so long."

Dee smiled and leaned forward to kiss the handsome blond but Ryo ducked out of reach. "I love you too, Dee Latener," he said, gazing into the deep green eyes. "And while I can't promise that I won't still get a little embarrassed when others are around, I _can_ promise that I'll never deny my feelings for you ever again."

The grin on Dee's face spread as he recognised Ryo's sincerity. "Well that's good enough for me," he said happily as he fought to stifle a yawn. Ryo noticed the gesture and his contented expression changed to one of concern. "Dee, you should really get some rest, you're still recovering and going without sleep isn't going to do you any good."

Dee laughed as he allowed Ryo to manoeuvre him into bed and under the covers. "Like I said before, I could get used to this!" he chuckled as Ryo left the bedroom to turn off the lights and extinguish the candles. When Ryo returned, he climbed in bed beside Dee, who promptly pulled the blond haired man into his strong embrace and sighed in contentment. They lay there in silence for a few moments before something occurred to Ryo and he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him.

"Dee?"

"Mmmm?

"Can I ask you something?"

Dee opened his eyes at the reluctance in Ryo's voice and found the older man looking at him anxiously. "Sure thing," he replied stroking the other's blond locks, determined never to deny him anything.

"Was there any particular reason you were so upset at the thought of staying in hospital over Christmas?"

The stroking motion stopped and for a moment Ryo was worried that he had overstepped the boundaries of curiosity. He glanced up at Dee to be greeted by the misty-eyed look he had seen when the subject had arisen in the hospital parking lot almost three weeks ago.

"If you don't want to tell me…" Ryo started but was silenced when Dee shook his head.

"No, it's okay," he replied with a reassuring smile, "It just got me thinking that's all." He allowed Ryo to shift slightly so that the blond had a better view of his lover's face. "I spent Christmas in hospital one year when I was living at the orphanage. I was only twelve at the time but Penguin always made sure we celebrated properly." He paused and smiled at the memory. "We would have a traditional Christmas dinner after church and she always ensured that there was a present for each of us, no matter how small. One year, she was returning to the orphanage on Christmas Eve with the presents she had got for us when some boys tried to mug her." Another pause but this time his face clouded with anger.

"She told them she had nothing of value but they wouldn't believe her. When I found her they'd already ripped open half of the presents she'd so carefully wrapped. They ran off when I shouted but I was so angry I just gave chase. I wanted to make them pay for hurting someone who only ever saw the best in people. I eventually caught up with them but I was badly outnumbered. I got a pretty severe beating," he said with a wry smile, unconsciously reaching up to touch a scar that ran under the firm outline of his jaw. "They kicked the crap out of me so I spent all of Christmas and New Year in hospital with concussion and various broken bones. Penguin visited on Christmas Day but she had the orphanage to run and couldn't stay long so I basically spent Christmas on my own."

As he finished, Ryo hugged the taller man tightly. "No wonder you didn't want to be there," he breathed, his voice emotional at the thought of a lonely young man, trapped in hospital because he had tried to protect a vulnerable old woman.

"But I'm not," Dee reminded him, squeezing him back and planted a kiss on Ryo's head, "thanks to you."

"And Bicky."

Dee grunted. "Yeah, him too."

With the ghosts of the past laid to rest, the two men fell into an easy, restful sleep, entangled in each other's limbs until Christmas morning dawned clear and bright upon them. Ryo awoke first, taking a moment to recall the events of the previous evening as he gazed at Dee still fast asleep with a contented smile across his handsome features. His initial reaction was to feel embarrassed at their intimacy but he pushed that emotion aside, certain now that there was no shame in how he felt about Dee. As if Dee sensed Ryo's thoughts about him, he too awoke, glancing sleepily across at the attractive blond still entwined in his arms and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Ryo," he said drowsily before planting a clumsy kiss on the other man's forehead.

Ryo moved so he could return the kiss, this time on the lips. "Merry Christmas, Dee," he replied happily before a knock on the door interrupted any further conversation.

"Ryoooo," came the plaintive moan, "Where's breakfast?"

Ryo glanced at the clock and realised he had overslept his usual wake up time by at least an hour. "I'm coming Bicky," he called back, glancing around the room in an attempt to locate the clothes he had shed the previous evening.

"You're not his servant," Dee muttered as he groped on the bedside table for his cigarettes. He was about to light up when a loud growl emanated from his empty stomach.

"So you don't want anything to eat then?" Ryo replied, smiling sarcastically with his hands planted firmly on his hips. "Since you wouldn't want to make me feel like your servant?"

The blond, now dressed, made to leave before a pillow hit him squarely in the back. He turned to reprimand his bed-bound lover but failed miserably at the sight of Dee's feigned look of innocence. Shaking his head and laughing, he turned back to the door.

"Ryo?" Dee's voice stopped him as his hand rested on the doorknob and he turned, half expecting another pillow to hit him this time in the face. "I love you."

Ryo smiled and nodded his head. "I love you too Dee," he replied as he opened the door. "Now let me go make us some breakfast."

Christmas Day in the McLain household proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable affair. After they had eaten breakfast and exchanged gifts, Ryo took Dee to church for the morning service so that he could take Penguin the present he had bought for her. The elderly nun was pleased to see her former charge, but she still took the opportunity to castigate him for being out when he clearly should be resting up. She was delighted to see Dee so happy and treated Ryo like a king as a result. Ryo in return, enjoyed the opportunity to talk about he and Dee as a couple without fear of prejudice.

They returned to Ryo's apartment after first picking up Cal from her aunt's around midday to make the preparations for Christmas dinner, although Ryo being as organised as he was meant there was little for him left to do as Dee watched television with Bicky and Cal, who huddled together on the armchair despite there being other available seating.

The four then ate a traditional meal of turkey with all the trimmings whilst Dee and Bicky argued about everything as Ryo and Cal tried their best to keep the peace. Dee was putting on his best grumpy old man act because Ryo wouldn't allow him any alcohol owing to the possible reaction with his prescription painkillers. The banter however was fairly light hearted, indicating to Ryo that the two most important people to him in the world didn't dislike each other half as much as they pretended.

After the meal, Dee took some more of his medication and fell asleep on the couch, leaving him vulnerable to Bicky who promptly produced a permanent marker and drew all over his plaster cast before Ryo could stop him. Later on in the evening, the four sat in Ryo's cosy candle-lit living room playing cards and charades as the snow continued to fall outside.

As the evening wore on, Ryo became more confident in expressing his affection for Dee; little touches and significant smiles spoke of his love for the other man and if Bicky and Cal noticed, then they never gave any indication. Before long, it was all over and the four retired to bed. Bicky was supposed to stay on the couch, giving his own bed up to Cal but when Ryo awoke at four am and went to kitchen to get a drink, he found the living room very much vacated. Dee had convinced him to let it be on the condition that he speak to Bicky in the morning about his conduct. Dee had been reluctant to fulfil this parental task but seeing Ryo's discomfort at the subject, he felt obliged to offer his assistance.

After Christmas Day, life fell into a pattern; Ryo went back to work whilst Bicky, usually accompanied by Cal, stayed around the apartment to help Dee move around and generally keep the incapacitated detective company. During that time, Dee and Bicky learnt a lot about each other, the most surprising thing being that they actually had things in common. Bicky was a big basketball fan, a passion which had previously gone unindulged because of Ryo's lack of knowledge, but Dee was more than capable of holding his own in any sports-related discussion. To Bicky's surprise, Dee was also pretty well versed at video games, resulting in endless challenges in front of the Sony Playstation that Dee had convinced Ryo to buy for Bicky's last birthday.

By New Year's Eve, Dee's wrist was healed enough to enable him to get around a little by himself on crutches but despite Bicky being able to step down from his carer duties, he stayed around the apartment more often than not. He still referred to Dee using a whole host of unsavoury terms and generally acted as obnoxious as possible but deep down, he was starting to enjoy having the other man around. Dee for his part, found that living with Bicky wasn't quite as terrible as he'd always thought.

Although he was used to a life of bachelorhood, he had often quite liked the thought of living with Ryo but somehow, he'd always managed to conveniently leave Bicky out of that equation. How he'd manage that in real life, he hadn't quite worked out but he'd never imagined that he would be comfortable with the extra responsibility that looking after Bicky would bring. After spending almost a week with the boy as his main source of company however, it didn't seem as impossible as he'd first assumed but he doubted that Bicky would appreciate his presence. He knew what it was like to have no one and he interpreted Bicky's aggressiveness towards him to mean that the youth wasn't willing to share Ryo on such a permanent level. As much as he hated it, Dee couldn't bring himself to snatch away from Bicky something he had always craved when he was growing up.

So with Dee's increased mobility came the notion that he may well be overstaying his welcome. Ryo had never said or done anything to give Dee that impression, but the dark haired man was aware that he had only been invited into Ryo's inner sanctum to prevent him from spending Christmas lying in a hospital bed looking at the same four paint-peeling walls. Unusually for Dee, he didn't want to bring the subject up directly for fear that Ryo would think he was hinting to stay and feel obliged to offer him further lodgings so instead, he began to drop none-too-subtle hints that it would be good to get back to his own apartment in due course. And so, with Ryo thinking that Dee was tired of living with he and Bicky, the arrangements were made for Dee to return home on New Year's Day.

"Bicky, can you get Dee's bags?"

"Wow, déjà vu!"

"Very funny, now can you bring them in?"

Doing as he was told, Bicky followed Dee and Ryo into the shabby looking apartment complex. Dee was managing by himself on his crutches but Ryo insisted on staying close, citing the snow and the possibility of a second broken leg as the justification for what Dee called 'fussing'. They reached Dee's apartment after a long and arduous climb up several flights of stairs since no one had been out to fix the eternally defective elevator. The complex was owned by an irascible landlord, who cared little about the maintenance and a lot about the rent. He lived onsite in one of apartments himself but remained disinterested in providing his tenants with a decent place to live. Ryo had questioned why Dee had never moved somewhere better when he had reached the ranks of Detective but the other maintained that, despite its failings, the apartment was adequate and the rent was about all he could afford.

After wrestling with the key in a lock that hadn't seen use for over three weeks, Dee eventually let them into the place he had called home ever since he had been out of the academy. Surfaces thick with dust added to the slightly neglected feel the apartment had to it with its makeshift furniture and detritus-strewn floors. As the three moved further into the accommodation, Bicky was first to speak, voicing his instinctive thoughts without tact or respect.

"You _live_ here?" he said, kicking a discarded can to one side, "Man, it looks like you were robbed!"

"Bicky!" Ryo said, horrified.

Dee glared at the boy as he limped his way through to the kitchen but once inside his face fell. Bicky was right. How could he have ever thought that Ryo would agree to move in with him? Using the tip of one of his crutches he pushed a cupboard door shut only for it to swing open again, the catch broken beyond repair. It had never bothered him before but now it irritated the hell out of him. Seeing how Ryo lived had made him want better but he would have never admitted it.

"Dee? You okay?" The voice startled Dee from his thoughts and he turned to see Ryo looking at him with concern. "Do you need help with anything?"

Quick as a flash, Dee had his joker's mask plastered back on his face. "No, I'm fine," he replied, forcing a grin onto to his face. "I guess I should do a little cleaning."

"We'll help," Ryo said quickly but Dee shook his head. "You've done enough," he said firmly, limping forward to give the other man a gentle kiss. "Now get going or Bicky's gonna be late for basketball and he'll blame me."

Ryo nodded reluctantly as he reached out and pushed the long strands of hair away from Dee's eyes. "Okay, but I'll call you later," he promised.

Dee offered him a reassuring smile as they headed out to the front door to where Bicky was waiting, still eyeing his surroundings as if he expected something to jump out and bite him.

"Ring me if you need anything," Ryo entreated.

"Sure thing," Dee replied, giving Ryo a final kiss before he turned to Bicky, "Stop him worrying will you?"

Bicky responded with a grin. "Sure thing, doofus"

Ryo gave them both a disapproving look before he steered Bicky out of the apartment. Once they were gone, Dee turned back to face his lodgings with a heavy heart, feeling almost as low as when he'd been in hospital. Shrugging out of his coat which he purposely let drop to the floor he then limped his way back into the kitchen, praying that there would be some beer in the fridge. Relief flooded over him when he found a six-pack of cans nestled behind some dubious looking cheese and he cracked one open and drunk from it as if it were royal nectar.

"Cheers," he said raising the can to the empty room, "Welcome home Dee Latener, NYPD's biggest loser."

That evening, Ryo had to stop himself from setting three places at the table. He smiled sadly at his near mistake as he took the extra cutlery back into the kitchen, his mind thinking only of Dee. He was missing Dee's strong presence already and was dreading the thought of an empty bed when he retired that evening. Work was proving to be pretty stressful as the trial of the internet stalker drew near and he had appreciated having Dee around to discuss things with, since the other man was well versed in the technicalities of the case. But, as Ryo had come to realise, having Dee live with him was about much more than having someone to sound off to.

He loved the feeling that they were a team both in work and play, dealing with everything together from catching criminals to making sure Bicky stuck to his curfew. He knew it wasn't fair to assume that Dee wanted responsibility for the latter but he couldn't help but wish it were so. He had almost, _almost,_ decided to chance it and ask Dee to stay for good but Dee's desire to return home just compounded Ryo's belief that parenthood wasn't on his lover's mind and Bicky had never given any indication that he wanted Dee to stay either.

Or so Ryo thought until a couple of days later when he returned home to find Bicky shut in his bedroom with one of his friends. Bicky obviously hadn't heard him come in so he went to knock on the boy's door before the sound of voices caused him to stop. A firm believer in the right to privacy, Ryo had no intention of eavesdropping but the mention of his name allowed his curiosity to override his moral judgement.

"Ryo should get a girlfriend, that'd stop him bugging you about school and stuff."

"Nah, Ryo thinks school's important anyway and besides, he's already seeing someone."

Laughter. "Is she hot?"

"No way and it's not a she."

"A _guy_?"

"Well duh…"

Ryo could feel himself beginning to blush as he stood, his hand still poised and ready to knock. He felt he should alert Bicky to his presence to prevent the boy having to answer any more difficult questions but to be honest, Bicky didn't sound all that embarrassed and Ryo was more than a little curious to know what his adopted charge really thought about his and Dee's relationship.

"Is that not really weird?" the friend persisted, amazed that Bicky could be so nonchalant.

"No," Bicky replied, "Dee can be a real pain in the ass but on the whole he's pretty cool. He knows loads about basketball and football and he could kick your ass on Tekken any day."

"Yeah right," the friend laughed doubtfully.

"No really," Bicky argued, "He stayed with us over Christmas and he beat me hands down plenty of times."

"You lived with two _gays_ in the house? Gross…"

"It ain't like that," Bicky snapped defensively, "Like I said, Dee's pretty cool and Ryo's a lot less stressed when he's around. In fact, I wouldn't care if he lived with us permanently."

On the other side of the door Ryo straightened. 'I am _not_ stressed!' was his first indignant thought before Bicky's final statement filtered through to his brain and caused his heart to sing with joy. Bicky was happy for Dee to move in! Anxious to not look like he had overheard the conversation, Ryo tiptoed back to the front door, opened it quietly and closed it again more loudly this time.

"Bicky, I'm home!" he called, trying to keep the elation out of his voice.

Bicky's door opened and he emerged with his friend in tow, who looked Ryo up and down curiously as Bicky greeted his guardian with his usual, "What's for dinner?"

Ryo set his briefcase down on the side as Bicky's friend made his excuses and left. Once they were alone, Ryo decided that he should broach the subject of Dee moving in whilst the impetus was still there. He beckoned Bicky to join him on the couch, causing the blond youth to assume that he'd done something wrong. He was in the process of formulating a range of excuses to fit whatever Ryo was about to say when the man blurted out his question.

"Bicky, I'd like to ask Dee to move in with us and I was wondering what you thought about it," Ryo asked, his rapid rate of speech indicating his anxiety at the outcome.

"Move in, meaning?"

"Permanently," Ryo clarified. "So, what do you think?"

"Sure," Bicky replied casually, jumping up and heading back to his room.

Ryo looked surprised. "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

"Uh huh," Bicky said nodding his head before his face broke into a grin, "Oh and Ryo?"

"Yes?"

"Your shadow under the door kinda ruined your eavesdropping routine."

Ryo blushed profusely, his expression that of a guilty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Bicky…" he started but the boy held up his hand indicating that he didn't require an explanation. "And before you ask, I meant what I said so go ahead and ask lunkhead if he wants to move in."

He closed his bedroom door behind him before a loud rock beat started up. Ryo sat in stunned silence for a moment before a broad grin broke onto his face and he moved across the room to call Dee and ask him that all-important question.

Twenty minutes later Bicky found himself being dragged by the arm down to Ryo's car. The blond man had attempted to call Dee at home but the phone had just rung and rung, sending Ryo into a near panic. Dee would definitely be at home since he couldn't get out anywhere on crutches but as Bicky pointed out, he was probably on the can or asleep. Ryo had accepted that for at least ten minutes before a further phone call had also gone unanswered. Realising he hadn't heard from his lover since the evening before, Ryo had then gone into full blown panic mode, grabbing Bicky and the car keys and racing to his vehicle parked on the street below.

"There's probably some simple explanation," Bicky said dismissively as Ryo floored the gas pedal and shot through the lights that were in the process of changing to red. "That idiot's probably got a chick up there with him or something."

"Bicky!" Ryo shouted, glancing across at the boy angrily.

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Bicky responded, seeing how upset Ryo was. "Like I said before, he's probably just asleep."

"Yeah probably," Ryo replied vaguely as he checked the speedo and accelerated again.

They reached the apartment complex and raced up to the fourth floor, taking the stairs two at a time. On reaching Dee's place, Ryo banged on the door, shouting several times, "Dee are you in there? Open up, it's Ryo!"

After several unsuccessful attempts to gain entry, Ryo and Bicky exchanged worried glances. "Have you got a key?" Bicky asked, trying to keep his voice calm to prevent Ryo from thinking he actually _cared_ about Dee. The blond Detective replied in the negative. "Then maybe you should break the door down," Bicky suggested, thinking of what cops normally did in the movies. To his surprise, Ryo nodded and said grimly, "Stand back."

Bicky did as instructed whilst Ryo used his shoulder to assault the barrier standing in their way. It took several attempts, but eventually the door lay defeated, its hinges bent and broken as Ryo and then Bicky rushed into the apartment calling the ebony haired man's name. It was Bicky that found him.

"He's here!" he shouted from the kitchen as Ryo emerged from the empty bedroom and hurried in the direction of his cry. Ryo's eyes widened in horror at the sight of his partner sprawled on his back on the kitchen floor, his eyes tightly shut as his crutches lay redundant beside him. Around him strewn on the floor lay an empty cigarette packet, Dee's lighter and a couple of drained cans of beer.

"Dee!" Ryo cried, pushing past Bicky and dropping to his knees beside his fallen love. He let out an exclamation of surprise and pain as something jabbed into his knee and he reached down and pulled out a screwdriver. "What the…?" he muttered, staring at the tool in his hand before a movement from Dee stole his attention.

"Dee?" he said, discarding the implement to shake the man's shoulders gently.

"Is he okay?" Bicky asked from over Ryo's shoulder.

"He's breathing," Ryo stated, relief evident in his voice as Dee started to wake. Before long, a pair of green eyes blinked open and looked around in confusion. "Ryo?" he said, unable to determine whether the face before him was real or the result of a hallucination. He was relieved therefore when the face replied to his question.

"Dee? What happened? Did you fall?"

The blond detective helped Dee into a sitting position, where he winced at the ache in his back. "I don't know," he replied until he saw the screwdriver lying near Ryo's feet. "Oh wait, I remember now."

Ryo glanced at Bicky who was stood in the doorway waiting expectantly for Dee's explanation but Dee didn't notice the gesture or the boy with Ryo obscuring his view.

"I decided to mend the catch on that cupboard," he said, gesturing to the door that was swinging open defiantly. "But I couldn't bend down so I sat down on the floor to do it." He paused before looking up at his blond lover sheepishly. "I gave up after a while and then I realised that I couldn't get back up." He knocked on the rigid plaster cast for emphasis. "I struggled for a bit but it was hopeless. So I lay here and drunk some beer and I must have fallen asleep. I guess you were right about not mixing alcohol and painkillers," he said rubbing his head ruefully.

Before Ryo could respond, there was a bark of derisive laughter from behind him. He turned, allowing Dee full view of Bicky who stood leaning against the doorframe, his youthful face creased in amusement. The dark haired man saw him and grimaced. "Great," he muttered as he glared at the boy through untidy bangs of hair, "Now I'll never live it down." He looked to Ryo for support but saw only laughter sparkling behind his dark eyes. "Anyway," he said, eager to change the subject, "How come you decided to call round?"

"I rang, several times and got no answer." Ryo smiled as he pushed Dee's hair off his handsome face. "I was worried and quite rightly so."

Dee couldn't help but mirror the gentle man's expression. "So why were you ringing? Were you offering to come and fluff my pillows again?"

Ryo didn't reply, instead glancing back at Bicky who nodded in response to what the blond man was silently asking him. When he turned back to face Dee, his expression was solemn.

"What?" Dee asked, aware of the non-verbal dialogue that had just taken place between man and boy.

Ryo took a deep breath. "I was ringing because I wanted to ask you something important."

Dee frowned. "I don't think I'm ready for marriage, Ryo."

The blond man's eyes widened as a result and he stammered, "Oh Dee no! That's not what I'm asking. I was just wondering if you wanted to move in with me."

Dee looked taken aback. "With you?"

"Well me and Bicky," Ryo corrected, gesturing to the boy in the doorway.

Dee now looked truly stunned as Ryo's words sunk in. He grasped Ryo's hands as he almost shouted, "Ryo, I'd love to!" Then he recalled how he'd vowed not to encroach on Bicky and Ryo's relationship and his enthusiasm tempered somewhat. "But Bicky…" he said, glancing anxiously at Ryo.

Ryo's response was a broad grin. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Dee leaned and looked past Ryo to where Bicky was standing, his arms folded defensively across his chest. "Bicky?"

"Yeah, I said it was okay with me," the youth snapped with typical adolescent irritation, "I didn't say I was gonna beg you to come or anything."

The haughty, slightly embarrassed expression on the boy's face caused Dee to laugh. "Then I accept," he chuckled, giving Ryo's hand another squeeze, scarcely able to believe that everything he'd ever wanted was falling into his lap as he sat helpless on the greased-stained linoleum. "And thank you, Bicky," he said with all sincerity.

Ryo's smile broadened at this positive result. "That's wonderful, when d'you want to move in?"

Dee stared around the uninspiring kitchen and out into the equally uninspiring living room beyond. "How about now?" he said, his green eyes indicating he was serious.

Ryo looked surprised, before realising how few possessions Dee actually owned. Moving out tonight was entirely possible and to be honest, he didn't really want Dee to spend another night here on his own. "Fine," he said, turning to Bicky who looked as if he was about to fall over, "Will you help?"

The blue-eyed youth was about to fire back a response that he wasn't a slave before he realised Ryo had asked for his help rather than demanded it. Unable to say no, he nodded his assent silently before moving forward to help Ryo get Dee on his feet.

Barely three hours later, Dee's every last possession worth taking had been loaded into Ryo's car ready to transport to his new home. Throughout the packing, Dee kept grinning at Ryo as if he could hardly believe that Ryo had instigated such a big step in their relationship. He thought of Drake's face and couldn't wait to get back to work to tell him what had happened. And JJ for that matter, Dee thought with a certain amount of glee. As he pondered about his work colleagues a thought occurred to him.

"Ryo?" Dee said, when Bicky had gone taking another box down to the car, grumbling loudly with every step. "You know work will have to know we're living together don't you?"

Ryo nodded. "Of course."

"And you know they'll put two and two together don't you?"

Again a nod. "And they'll make four, so what?"

Dee looked so shocked at Ryo's boldness that the blond man put down the crate he was carrying and walked over to where Dee was sorting through some old clothes, his casted leg resting on one of his breezeblock 'tables'.

"I promised you remember?" Ryo said, crouching down and touching Dee's face lovingly, "I'll never deny what you mean to me ever again." He paused and his smile faded. "When you were hurt and I was sat at the hospital, I tried to imagine how I'd feel if I'd lost you and well, it didn't bear thinking about. I realised that we couldn't stay as we were but I wasn't sure how to take our relationship further." He pulled Dee in and kissed him gently on the forehead. "But now I know."

Dee smiled but he still wore a look of concern. "I'm glad you're sure what you want Ryo," he said, taking the other's hand, "but I want you to be prepared to take a lot of grief when you tell people you're in a gay relationship. Not everyone's as tolerant as Penguin."

Ryo nodded, grateful for Dee's concern. "I know, but there are plenty of good people out there too. The doctor I told at the hospital didn't even bat an eyelid."

"You told someone about us?" Dee replied, clearly impressed. "How come?"

Ryo shrugged. "He asked if you had any family he should contact and I told him you just had me."

Dee's smile broke into a broad grin. "I guess he was right," he said quietly, silently thanking God for not the first time that Ryo had come into his life.

The apartment empty, Ryo helped Dee into his coat before the dark haired man took up his crutches as he took one last look around.

"Any regrets?" Ryo asked, seeing his reaction.

Dee turned back to face him shaking his head vigorously. "Hell no!" he chuckled as Bicky reappeared, his face flushed with exertion. "Tell me that was the last box," he muttered with a scowl, clearly displeased with how his evening had turned out.

Dee and Ryo nodded simultaneously but Dee was the first to speak. "You've been a good help Bicky, so I promise as soon as this damn cast's off, I'll take you to the watch the Knicks play."

Bicky's face instantly brightened, like the sun finally coming out from behind a cloud. "Really? No shit?"

Dee smiled, ignoring Ryo's frown of disapproval at the profanity. "Really."

The three left the apartment, ignoring the fact that it was now without a front door. They had made it half way down the corridor when Dee's landlord Mr Granger appeared, his face pinched with anger as he stormed towards them. "Latener," he yelled, "Either you're being robbed or you're moving out so which is it?"

"Number two," Dee replied as he continued to limp down the corridor towards the stairs, forcing Granger to walk backwards.

"But what about giving notice?" the enraged man bellowed, his eyes bulging dangerously.

Dee stopped and gave Granger a hard green-eyed stare. "I'm leaving. There, I've given you notice so kindly get out of my way."

His face now a livid purple, the older man glanced past the three people and noticed Dee's front door propped up against the wall. "What the… ?" he spat, turning back to Dee, "What the hell happened to the door, Latener?"

"It fell off," Dee replied flatly, "I suspect poor maintenance was to blame."

Granger looked as if he was about to explode. "You better get that goddamned door fixed Latener!" he threatened, waving a stubby finger in Dee's direction.

Dee indicated for Ryo and Bicky to follow as he resumed his walk towards the stairs and the promise of a better life. "Fix your own goddamned door," he said pausing to look at Granger one last time, "Or I'll arrest you for threatening and abusive behaviour."

With that, he, Ryo and Bicky started off down the stairs, their collective laughter echoing through the halls of the place that Dee would no longer think of as home.

END


End file.
